Returning to Nashville

Last weekend we traveled up to Nashville to attend Monica and Gabe's wedding. They were high schoolers back when we helped with the church's youth group and Sonshine choir. It was great to see so many former youth all grown up and married and all. The wedding was at our old church. Blythe caught the bouquet.

On the way up we stopped at Chickamauga Battlefield and made our way to the marker where our ancestor, George Schumpert, most likely fell in battle. This was the same spot where we took my grandfather in August 2007.

Our pal, Greg, and his daughter, Noel, were gracious hosts and competitive Wii players. We also got to have dinner with the Linney family and catch up just like old times. Sadly we didn't get to see all our old friends, but it was a busy weekend and perhaps too close to Christmas to see everyone.

Our old house looked terrible, which was sad, but Nashville has grown and changed alot. Nevertheless, within less than a day I was ready to be home, back in good old SC. Not sure when THAT happened, but it was a comforting realization.

Pic of the Week

Last week, Grant got to go on a field trip to the State Capital and Governor's Mansion. He he is inside the Governor's Mansion making us proud.

Papa Nicholson, 1918 - 2008

My grandfather, George Schumpert Nicholson Sr., passed away today. He was 90 years old and had a heart condition for years, but it still took me by surprise. In many ways it was a blessing that he passed quickly, without pain and suffering, and with my Dad at his side.

He got up this morning, did some chores on his farm and began having heart pains. My Dad was waiting at the hospital when the ambulance arrived. He had held on long enough to have one last farewell, before crossing over to his Eternal reward.

Papa has had a tremendous impact on my life and the lives of everyone in my family and most of the people in his community. Below is an excerpt from his obituary, which I've been typing tonight. I love my Papa and will miss him very much.

George Schumpert Nicholson, age 90, died April 3, 2008. ... Mr. Nicholson was born January 15, 1918, in Saluda, SC. He grew up in the Hollywood community and was a lifelong resident of Saluda County. He was a son of Urban Clark and Julia Coleman Nicholson. He was married to Lois Hooker Nicholson. He was a member and president of the Saluda Lions Club, a charter member of the Hollywood Ruritan Club, a member of the Saluda County Cattlemen's Association, and American Legion Post #65 commander. He was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the 44th Infantry Division of U.S. Army in the European Theater and a recipient of the Bronze Star for distinguished military service. He was retired from the United States Postal Service after serving for 42 years as a rural letter carrier, assistant postmaster, and postmaster. In his retirement, he farmed and raised cattle on his family farm, which he loved.

Easter 2008

Happy Easter!

He Is Risen!

Children At Heart Reunion

In preparation for my Big Birthday Gig this weekend, I found some old photos of my college band, Children at Heart. Mike, Coley, Paul, and Greg will be coming in this weekend to join me, along with Alan and Stan, for a gig at the WaterShed on Saturday night. We've all been working on the songs via iPod and an online file folder site for sharing chord charts, but with only have a couple of times to rehearse together before performing, so we anticipate it being more fun than "good", but either, way it will be awesome.

"StringBean" Wilson Needs Your Help

Several weeks ago I had the privilege of interviewing an old-time blues man, Elijah "Stringbean" Wilson. Although even StringBean couldn’t remember exactly how old he really is, we know, based on information in the Library of Congress, that he has been writing and recording the blues for over 70 years. Wilson’s lyrics reflect his passionate personality, creative use of grammar, and experience with “hard livin’” (with the exception of those works created during the ‘80’s when StringBean attempted a genre-shift to New Wave music and toured with Culture Club.)

Here are excerpts from my interview:

TW: "You haven't written anything new in a while. What's up with that?"

SB: “My mind ain’t what it used to be. I mostly can start a song, but I can’t finish ‘um anymore. I am thinking about using the Internets to let my fans finish the words for me.”

TW: "Don't you mean the 'Internet'? Is singular, you know. It's just one bug network."

SB: "Son, I may be old as dirt, but I can still kick your punk a$$..."

Currently, his fans can participate in submitting lyrics on the GreanBeans blog. Mr. A. Green, blogmaster for GreanBeans claimed “This is a unique opportunity for fans, new and old, to collaborate online with one of the world’s most average blues men to create something that will at least be classified and ‘interesting’. After all, how often does someone get to publish something they’ve created on the Internet?”

In closing my interview with StringBean, I promised that if his current work got finished in time, that it would be performed live at my birthday/reunion concert coming up on Jan 26th. He replied, “Huh? What are we talking about? Do you smell boiled eggs?”

If you would like to help collaborate on StringBean Wilson’s current project, go to the GreanBeans Blog and leave your lyric suggestions in the comments section.

Thanksgiving: a Day for Tradition, Family, & Rest

Today, according to family tradition, we celebrated Thanksgiving at my Uncle Owen's home in Johnston, SC. Traditional Turkey-day grub was served, plus an amazing recipe of Crock-Pot Mac & Cheese.

After lunch we all gathered in the living room to talk. My Uncle Owen, a walking encyclopedia of history and genealogical information, usually presents an impromptu lecture on family or local history. (This is the moment I usually take a post-feast nap. Involuntarily, of course.) However, today he told us all about George Washington's trip through that area of SC on his Southern Tour, in 1791. Since I recently took and interest in this subject, he had me participate by telling of my role in a recent competition to identify an erroneous landmark that inaccurately commemorates an alleged stop on this tour. Amazingly, this was actually interesting to everyone and I enjoyed telling the tale of my eventual victory. My uncle was also quite prepared, with reference materials, just in case. Of course, no one questions him.

On the way home I stopped for a short rest.

George Nicholson rested here on Thanksgiving Tour 2007.

Pereiro In Yellow (14 Months After Finishing the 2006 TDF)

From the Associated Press (via ESPN.com)

MADRID, Spain -- Oscar Pereiro finally got his hands on the winner's yellow jersey from the 2006 Tour de France on Monday.

"Finally, we have a winner and it's Oscar," Tour director Christian Prudhomme said. "Oscar, you have won the Tour out on the road."

The Spaniard moved up from second to first after the disqualification of Floyd Landis for doping.

The International Cycling Union formally declared Pereiro the winner on Sept. 21, one day after a U.S. arbitration panel voted 2-1 to remove the title from Landis for using synthetic testosterone during the Tour.

It's the first time in the 105-year history of the race that a winner has been stripped of the title.

Click here for the entire article.

Poinsett Bridge

Here are two beautiful photos of Poinsett Bridge (Greenville County, SC). Poinsett Bridge was built in 1820. It was part of the South Carolina state highway leading from Chareston, SC to Asheville, NC. It is now located on present day State Highway #42, near the Boy Scout Camp Old Indian. It stretches 130 feet over Little Gap Creek and features a remarkable 14-foot Gothic arch.

Photography by Duck Hunter.

Where in SC? Johnston, That's Where!

My blog-buddy, Kyle, hosts a challenging littl game on his blog called “Where in SC?” In this game he posts a picture of a landmark somewhere in SC for the reader to guess where it is. In most cases it actually takes quite a bit of research to solve the riddle. Thus was the case with this one.

I Googled the heck out of this one. I tried every possible combination of “George”, "Washington”, “SC”, “Carolina”, “Southern Tour”, “Marker”, “DAR”, “Emily Geiger”, “Charter”, “Rested”, “rock”, “boulder”, etc. with absolutely no luck. I visited websites devoted to historical markers, various DAR websites, university and government websites, but to no avail. Meanwhile, I was able to quickly solve seemingly more obscure (and less significant) landmarks such as a graffiti tagged ruin on Folly Island (found by search peoples vacation photos on FLICKR), a bait shop in the town of Cold Point in Laurens county (found by Googling “SC”, “Crenshaws” and “Grocery” and finding it's address on a directory of convenience stores and then confirmed by one of my employees who knows the place), and The ruins of Sheldon Church located between the towns of Yemassee and Beaufort on the Old Sheldon Church Road. However, I couldn't find anything pertaining to this extremely historical marker.

I extensively researched Washington's Southern Tour (also known as the Goodwill Tour) which took place in 1791 (not 1785 as the marker incorrectly states). Since Kyle had been posting photos from around Folly I focused on the coast, which is the route our first President took heading South and which is also the most documented portion of the tour. I even found an erroneously located and dated DAR marker around Myrtle Beach, but that wasn't it. I found evidence of his resting at places further South, but still nothing.

I decided to expand my search. I printed the photo and hung it on the door of my office hoping for a random passer-by to provide a clue. Instead it just got others interested. One of my fellow Directors admitted that she went home one evening and stayed up way past midnight looking for it. One of my employees contacted the DAR National Headquarters for help, but they couldn't shed any light on it. Another one of my employee's daughter works at the SC State House and has been circulating the photo to congressmen asking if it's in their district. Still nothing!

Kyle eventually started giving clues (including some fake clues). First they were comments like “getting closer” or “less close”, but then he revealed that it was “on our side of I-95” (our side being the West side.) That eliminated must of Washington's route down the coast. So I guessed Camden. Kyle then narrowed the scope further by explaining that it was North of I-20 and not in Kershaw or Richland counties. That sped things along.

I went to the Library of Congress web site and found the actual scanned Diary of George Washington, but the manuscript was too hard to read, so I found a typed version of the same text. In it I discovered that after leaving SC for Savannah, he went to Augusta (through GA) and crossed back into SC from there. He continued on to Columbia, then to Camden, and up to Charlotte. Since Richland and Kershaw counties were out of the question, I could eliminate Columbia and Camden. Making it in the Aiken, Saluda, Edgefield, Lexington vicinity or possibly in Lancaster county. I started documenting my research and Googled the names of towns (including some that no longer exist) and families that may have been visited.

Now here's the ironic part:

Since my uncle, John Owen Clark, is a noted historian in Edgefield county, I decided to give him a call at his home in...Johnston. Johnston is the town where my mother's family is from. My parents still own prime land there that they rent to peach farmers. When I read the inscription to him, he immediately corrected me explaining that George Washington didn't come to SC in 1785 and that the Southern Tour was in 1791. I said “I know”. He then proceed to basically quote back, from memory, everything I'd just read in Washington's Diary. That he first went to Trenton and ate at the Piney Woods Tavern and then proceeded to the Odem House, between Ridge Spring and Monetta, blah, blah, blah. Then he idly mentioned “you know, there's actually an incorrectly located marker here in Johnston that was placed here by an overzealous chapter of the DAR back in the 1930's. He never actually came here. I don't recall what it says, but maybe since it's location is wrong the date may be wrong to.” I couldn't believe it, I've actually seen this rock, but never close enough to know (or care) what was on the plaque. He promised to check the inscription for me the next time he went by it, but I was pretty confident THAT was it.

After a breach of etiquette on my behalf, I correctly resubmitted my guess last night. And that, my friends, if the story of how, after two and a half weeks of exhaused research, I found a bogus historical marker in a town where I regularly visited as a child.

Now, go play "Where in SC?" on Kyle's Blog.

Congratulation Oscar Pereiro (real winner of the 2006 Tour de France)!

From The Associated Press

U.S. cyclist Floyd Landis found guilty of doping
Updated Thu. Sep. 20 2007 3:25 PM ET

PARIS -- Floyd Landis lost his expensive and explosive doping case Thursday when arbitrators upheld the results of a test that showed the 2006 Tour de France champion used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular comeback victory, The Associated Press has learned.

The decision means Landis, who repeatedly has denied using performance-enhancing drugs, must forfeit his Tour de France title and is subject to a two-year ban, retroactive to Jan. 30, 2007.
The ruling, handed down nearly four months after a bizarre and bitterly fought hearing, leaves the American with one final way to possibly salvage his title -- an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

If Landis doesn't appeal, he'll be the first person in the 105-year history of the race to lose the title because of a doping offence.

Tour de France race director welcomes decision to uphold Landis positive doping test
Updated Thu. Sep. 20 2007 5:36 PM EST

PARIS (AP) -Tour de France officials finally got what they wanted Thursday - a new champion.
With American cyclist Floyd Landis' guilty doping verdict just hours old, the president of the International Cycling Union (UCI) said Landis would be wiped from the record books, making Oscar Pereiro the new champion.

"According to our rules we will be stripping him of his title and awarding it to Pereiro,'' Pat McQuaid said by telephone. "He has the chance whether to appeal or not. ... But there's nothing to stop us now from stripping him of his title.''

Stage 17 of the 2006 Tour.

Click here for more info.

Chickamauga Battlefield (Part 2)

We're back from our trip to Chattanooga, TN and the Chickamauga Battlefield. It was an amazing trip. To recap, my father, brother, and I took my 89 year old grandfather to see the battlefield where his great uncle (his grandmother's brother) died in battle on September 20th, 1863. My grandfather was named for Private George A. Schumpert, C.S.A., and thus are my father (Jr.) and myself (III). None of us really knew much about this battle or it's significance in the Civil War, so we listened to an audio book on the long drive there. It was a good primer.

Chickamauga Battlefield is part of the National Park Service and is the oldest and largest Battlefield in the U.S. Almost 40 thousand soldiers fought there in this 2 day battle and almost 30% of them were killed, making it one of the bloodies battles of the war. Our relative, Private George Adam Schumpert was with the South Carolina 19th Infantry Regiment, Company D, C.S.A. which fought at Chickamauga under Brig. Gen. Arthur Manigault's Brigade. His body was never returned home and no one in our family knows where it was finally laid to rest.

Once we arrived at the park's visitor center we introduced ourselves to the rangers, who earlier in the week I had alerted of our trip by email. They provided us with a park map, on which they marked the points of interest to us, plus some details about the whereabouts of his brigade. Later on, when no one else showed up for the 10AM tour, Ranger Jim Blackwell gave us a private tour that emphasized our areas of interest. He actually took us off the normal tour route to the base of the spur of Snodgrass Hill, where his brigade attacked (and probably the place where he was killed.) The rangers were extremely helpful and made our trip more rewarding than we would have ever imagined.

The biggest surprise of the trip was the rangers' familiarity with Private Schumpert. Considering that almost 40,000 soldiers fought there, we would never have expected any specific details about our relative, a mere private. However, they told us that they knew his uniform was on display at the Atlanta Historical Center and that one of their former rangers had taken such a personal interest in Private Schumpert that he made a replica of his uniform an wore it as a re-enactor. Many Rebel soldiers had to supply their own uniforms and his was made from pillow ticking and was white a pink in color. Apparently it's also pictured in a Time Life book "Echoes of Glory", which I am diligently searching for on EBAY. The presence of this kind of artifact and the names of other rangers, museum curators, etc. may lead to even more information in the coming months.

Needless to say, this was a very rewarding trip and, most importantly, to my 89 year old grandfather it seemed to bring a sense of accomplishment and closure. Awesome!

Chickamauga Battlefield

This weekend my father, brother and I are taking my 89 year old grandfather to Chattanooga, Tennessee. We're taking him to visit the Chickamauga Battlefield Saturday morning. Three of us (since my father is a Jr. and I'm III) were named after a Confederate solider named Private George A. Schumpert, who was killed in battle there on September 20, 1863, at the age of 18. He was a member of the South Carolina 19th Infantry Regiment, Company D. My grandfather, a history buff, had recently mentioned that he had never visited that battlefield, so we're taking him. I'm really excited to spend the quality time with the men of my family. If anything really cool happens during our trip I'll attempt to update my blog from my cell phone. Otherwise, I'll upload some photos when I get back on Sunday.


Note: In retrospect, if I had known I would be posting anything about the Civil War, I probably would have reconsidered naming my blog "Tighty Whitey".